We're Back, and We're Suntanned!

We arrived home safely from our Cabo San Lucas play-cation last night. The only thing I wanted to do was watch a movie. Too much nature and conversation occurred this week, apparently.

The resort where we stayed, with a cruise ship in the distance.

The trip was a whirlwind of good times and relaxation. I don't know how we could be so exhausted from sitting by a pool and reading all day, but we were. Relaxing is hard work. Plus, when you've got 31 family members present to catch-up with, it's a lot of conversation. We celebrating my Grandma's 80th birthday with Mexican style, though, complete with a shot of tequila (which Jesse graciously drank when the waiters offered it to her.) Now my grandparents think my husband is an alcoholic. Wonderful.

It was an epic vacation. We got beat-up by killer waves, we went scooter-ing about town, we ate plenty of Mexican food, I got a little (okay, a lot) sun burned, and we took complete advantage of the poolside fun. We vacationed with gusto, to put it another way.

We scootered around town for an afternoon, turning "scooter" into a very fun verb.

A few things I learned:

1) Jesse is easily mistaken for being able to speak Spanish, especially after a few days in the sun. I'm pretty sure no one would have approached me in Spanish had I not been with him. (Side note: Jesse is not anything, really. He's a true American Mutt.)

Me and my non-Mexican man.

2) I'm ready to continue popping the birth control. There were a lot of kids on the trip, and many more on our plane rides home, and I'm pretty sure I'm not mature enough to keep from strangling any small screaming child. So to avoid jail, we'll just play it safe for awhile longer. Cuteness is best preserved from a distance. (No offense meant to Myles, Naomi, and Lilah. The screaming kids on the plane are another matter.)

Naomi and Myles: yup, they're pretty cute.

3) I can do tequila, in small doses, and in mixed drinks. Also, Mexican beer is actually quite delicious when taken with sunshine, a beach, and crashing waves. There's a reason I don't drink Corona in Portland.

4) Family is nice to be around. I have a big family, some of whom I haven't seen in years. It's nice to catch up. And to show off Jesse. It's even better to get to do it while sipping margaritas and dipping in pools. Yup, family is pretty good.

Me, my dad, and my sister.

Oh, and an update on my wardrobe. I spent so much time making clothes for the trip, only to realize that actually, I only made about three things, and my cuter clothes are ones I bought. I spent every day explaining that no, I hadn't made this shirt. No, not this one, either. Nope, just that one dress, really. 

But yes, I did wear Cabo San Sundress in Cabo San Lucas, and it was beautiful. Pockets!

And now, welcome back to Portland. At least it's still a heat-wave here, too. Except for the green trees, it's like we never left Mexico!

Oh, Baby, I Was Bound for Mexico...

We are jetting out of Portland for a weeklong vacation in Cabo San Lucas!

In another day, this will be us:

Only throw in a couple dozen family members, of course. And maybe a piña colada! I've spent the last few months making clothes with the idea to wear them on this trip, and now that it's here I have too many!!
But I'm bringing Cabo San Sundress, of course, my boat race dress, and my green tunic dress (for maximum airport comfort.) I had a goal to make seersucker shorts--that didn't happen. They got cut out, but nothing else. Oh, well!

I'm so ready for a week full of beaches, sun, and maybe a shot of tequila. Hey, it's Mexico!

A To-Do of Cabo Craftiness

What is it about beach vacations that are so attractive?
We're going on a fantastic family funtime in July, and lately all I can think about is soaking up sun, sitting on beaches, and sipping those giant fruity drinks with the umbrellas.  Oh, yeah, maybe it's because Portland is trying to remove sun from our lives with all this rain.
In expectation of the upcoming escape, I've created a little list of crafty to-dos. We'll be enjoying the sun in Cabo San Lucas, so these items are all beach and flower-in-your-hair appropriate.

1) Seersucker shorts. For years I've been looking for just the right beachy shorts, in perfect seersucker. The search is off--I'm making my own! I haven't made shorts before, and I don't actually have a pattern, so this might be an adventure...

2) English Seaside Dress, from Modcloth.com (The name must change before I wear it in Mexico, of course.)

Yes, another Modcloth remake! This dress is so sweet and light, and looks so easy to re-create! I've already found the perfect doilys off Etsy, and I just got a nice soft cotton/bamboo fabric, in light sage green. I'll probably use a burdastyle pattern I already have, for a simple tunic dress. This one's next on my list! Any ideas for a better name?

3) This is one I'm actually already working on, and almost done. I call it Cabo San Sundress. To keep the suspense, I won't tell you anything more, other than that I used another Collette pattern, a bright fabric print from a sale at Bolt, and that it's very appropriate for Mexico.

4) I don't have any concrete ideas for the last project yet, but I just bought this fabric off Etsy:

There's not very much of it, but I think it would make a cute little short skirt, so we'll see what I can pull off.

I have two months to work on all of these-- hopefully that's plenty of time! It's my belief that one of the best parts of vacation is looking forward and planning for it. I can just imagine how satisfying it will be when I finally wear all the clothes I've been working on all summer. It's good to have goals. Cabo San Lucas, here I come!

We're in Seattle!

Hello from up north!



Jesse and I headed up north to celebrate Winter Solstice (it's all uphill from here), and tomorrow, my birthday!

We're staying in a cute little Bed and Breakfast (but not the kind that's too cute. It's just right.), and tomorrow we'll explore all around. I'm planning on getting a couple choice birthday nibbles from Pikes Market.

Bye for now--until later!